It’s Getting Real “At 11 p.m. Friday, the Metrorail system will close and will remain closed all day Saturday and Sunday”

Photo by PoPville flickr user Beau Finley

News of Car2Go’s suspension of service was a shock to the system but now it’s getting really real. From WMATA:

“Metro today announced major service changes and suspensions on Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess in advance of a potentially historic blizzard affecting the National Capital Region. The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for the Metro service area from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning, and the effects of the storm are expected to impact the region into early next week.

“This is not a storm that anyone should take lightly, and I would urge all residents to plan to get to a safe place before the storm arrives Friday afternoon,” said Wiedefeld. “The actions we are taking today are all in the interest of our customers’ and employees’ safety, and will help us return to service once the storm passes and the snow is cleared.”

Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld will activate the agency’s Emergency Command Center (ECC) starting at 4 p.m. Friday, with around the clock coverage during the storm. The ECC will coordinate all Metro response efforts, including protecting rail and bus equipment, responding to weather-related problems, and coordinating the clearing of station platforms, parking lots, garages, bus loops, rail yards and storage facilities.

Metrorail

On Friday, Metrorail will open at 5 a.m. with service both above and below ground until 11 p.m.
At 11 p.m. Friday, the Metrorail system will close and will remain closed all day Saturday and Sunday.
Metro will protect hundreds of railcars by storing them in the tunnels during the storm.
Information regarding the restoration of service will be provided via broadcast media outlets, social media, Metro’s website (wmata.com), and the MetroAlerts system (email and text messages).

Metrobus

Bus service will begin the day Friday on a “severe” snow weather plan. Under the severe plan, buses operate only on major corridors. For details on which routes operate under the severe plan, visit wmata.com/snow/severe.
Operating on a “severe” service plan helps to ensure that customers and employees are not stranded once the storm begins.
Bus service will be suspended systemwide at 5 p.m. Friday as the storm moves into the region. The last buses will depart their origin points at 5 p.m. and operate to the end of the route before ending service.
Bus service will remain suspended on Saturday and Sunday.

MetroAccess

MetroAccess paratransit service for customers with disabilities will be suspended Friday after 6 p.m.
To prevent customers from being stranded, MetroAccess will not begin any new outbound trips after 1 p.m.
MetroAccess service will remain suspended on Saturday and Sunday.”